Unraveling the Layers of Empathy: Self-Compassion as a Partial Mediator in Male and Female Offenders’ Personal Distress and Aggression

ABSTRACT

Violence and offending pose significant public health concerns, and understanding the factors associated with these behaviors is crucial for effective intervention and prevention programs. While extensive research has focused on risk factors, the role of protective factors, such as empathy and self-compassion, has received less attention. This study examines the predictive value of cognitive and affective empathy on aggression and explores the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between personal distress and aggression within an offender population. A sample of 120 offenders (90 men and 30 women) completed self-report measures of aggression (Aggression Questionnaire), empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and self-compassion (Self-compassion scale – Short Form). Additionally, a semi-structured interview was conducted to collect sociodemographic information and criminal history. Results showed a negative association between perspective-taking (a cognitive empathy component) and aggression, while personal distress (an affective empathy component) positively predicted aggression. Self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between personal distress and aggression, indicating its potential role in reducing violent tendencies. These findings highlight the importance of considering empathy and self-compassion in understanding and addressing aggression in offenders. Specifically, a deeper understanding of the affective empathy construct and considering self-compassion as a complementary tool could enhance gender-inclusive prevention and intervention programs, potentially reducing recidivism rates.

KEYWORDS:

• Aggression
• empathy
• offenders
• self-compassion

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to the Secretary General of Penitentiary Institutions, as well as to the Service of Penalties and Alternative Measures Management (Valencia), for their cooperation in facilitating the recruitment of the sample. Additionally, we appreciate the support of the various entities that have participated in funding our project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical standards and informed consent

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975, as revised in 2000, and followed the ethical standards of the Ethics Committee on human experimentation of the University of Valencia (Code: 1563895). All participants voluntarily agreed to participate, were informed about the nature of the study, and gave their written informed consent before the study began.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Universities, under Grant FPU 18/03829; The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN) and The Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), under Grant PID2019-111412RB-I00 and PID2022-142287OA-I00; The Prometeo Program for research groups of excellence of the Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society of the Generalitat Valenciana, under Grant CIPROM/2021/46; and the University of Valencia, under Grant UV-INV-AE-2641711.